Walking In My House
by secretfanficlover
Summary: James and Severus realize that there is more to the other teen than meets the eye.


Word count: 1874

Title: Walking In My House

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The Golden Snitch:

Nautical Ship Challenge: James Potter and Severus Snape - S.S. Black and Gold

Olivanders: Troll whisker: Write about Knockturn Alley.

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"This is all going to tumble down in flames, I guarantee it," Remus muttered to James under his breath. He knew it wasn't even worth mentioning it but he needed to try anyway.

He left his friend after that, stopping at the juncture between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley.

"We'll be in the Three Broomsticks," he added before disappearing off.

James had seen Snape wandering around Knockturn Alley, and was wondering what he could possibly be up to.

He watched the Slytherin walk into Burgin and Burkes, and he was still walking around once James had gotten his cloak over his head. He needed to make sure he wasn't seen on his mission to gain intel.

He saw Snape sigh. He hardly ever managed to elicit a reaction with his pranks and it made him wonder what was on the Slytherin's mind. He used to be fun to torment, but the older they got the less of a reaction he got.

James walked closer, knocking into a display cabinet with black and gold balls. They scattered to the floor and when he felt the eyes of Snape and the shop owner turn in his direction he disappeared quickly from the shop.

He knew he could have quit and joined his friends but something was telling him to wait outside for Snape.

"I wonder why he hates me so much," he heard Snape muttering to himself as he walked out of the shop.

"I never did anything to him, all I did was _exist_," he continued. James wasn't sure who Snape was talking about, but it was likely to be about him.

When James put his plan into motion to scare the other man, he bumped into him as well, causing a coral blue vial of potion to break and spill all over them.

"Merlin, Potter!" he shouted as they tried to wipe it off their clothes. "Why do you look so guilty?"

James couldn't help but look a bit sheepish. "Why are you so suspicious? I was only trying to prank you," he said.

"Well done, now you wasted like seven galleons and who knows what this potion will do to us now," Severus said annoyed.

"What's the potion for?" James said, suddenly forgetting that this man was the bane of his existence.

Severus sighed again. "I suppose I need to tell you," he began slowly. "It's a body swap potion." He added reluctantly.

"But those need to be taken orally though?" James queried.

"Normally, yes, but we should just wait and see," the Slytherin replied logically.

The two sat down on the bench in silence.

"What were you planning on doing with it?" James asked eventually. Severus looked at him in a way he never had before, and then the two felt a pull like their wind was being sucked from their bodies, and they transformed into one another.

"Oh Merlin," now-James said looking at the man sitting across from him. "I don't think that's any of your business, Potter."

"It happened, what are we going to do now? Hopefully this is all just a bad dream," now-Severus said, realizing the implications of being trapped in this body.

"What is sleep but an illusion to escape the hell we create when we're awake," Severus replied and James pinched himself on the arm, nothing happened- he was still in Severus's body.

"What if we blame alien abduction?" Severus said.

"Don't be daft, Potter," James replied, rolling his eyes at the man.

"What? Going to probe me?" Severus said with a cheeky grin.

"Well, all we can do is wait it out," James said logically, pacing back and forth.

"You know people will never believe it," Severus muttered under his breath.

James let out a chuckle. "See, sounding more like me already," he said.

He saw that Severus scowled at him. "That's not funny."

"Perfect," James insisted.

"I need to meet my friends at the Three Broomsticks," Severus said, causing James to go pale.

"Oh Merlin," James said.

"Yeah, so you need to get going, but we can meet back here in about an hour," Severus insisted.

"How the hell do you expect me to pull that off?" he hissed.

"Well, think about what you would do, then _don't _do that, then do something that you haven't thought about," Severus instructed, he was looking serious.

"You're joking," James said.

"You never joke, you're too serious for that," Severus said.

"Yeah, and you never stop," he muttered walking away, leaving now-Severus alone.

A girl he only recognized as another Slytherin approached him. "Hey Sev, why do you look so lost? Did you get the loot?" She asked him, eyeing him curiously.

"Oh yeah, there was an accident. James Potter bumped into me, and the idiot made the vial break," Severus replied, coughing into his hands.

"Oh yeah?" the Slytherin asked.

"Yeah, luckily it didn't land on either of us." Severus replied.

"Well, that just means we will need to come back, just get rid of that tail, I don't want any loose ends next time," she said menacingly.

The Slytherin girl disappeared again, leaving James to wonder what she was up to. What was _he_ up to? He stood out, even as a Slytherin walking around Knockturn Alley. He couldn't help but think he probably should go and get another potion. The black haired, pale skinned girl seemed like she wasn't the kind of person to mess with.

He thought about it for a while, and then remembered that Slughorn had mentioned her at one of his parties- Bellatrix, he called her. Bellatrix Lestrange was her name. She had a similarly pale-skinned sister with platinum blonde hair.

He couldn't go back into Burgin And Burkes; he had just been seen in there. Well, it could never be said James Potter was careful. He was tempted to walk right back inside and ask for another one, and he probably would have if he knew the name of the potion (perhaps an antidote as well).

When James's body returned, he looked happier than he ever had before. There was something different; like a glow about him that James had never seen before.

"What kept you?" Severus asked him, sitting back down on the same bench from earlier. The only difference to the casual observer would appear to be the fact that they had changed seats. It was clear the two needed to have a frank discussion about what they would be doing next. Since students weren't allowed in Knockturn Alley, neither of them could be found out. They talked about everything, silly habits, where they slept, common room passwords, anything that could lead to any teacher or anyone else finding out about what had happened.

The more the real James learnt about his body double, the more he came to recognize that there was something there he just hadn't noticed before. Time passed; and as they started spending more time together they both managed to understand just what the other teen was going through. It wasn't as if they just suddenly fell in love, they just started to _understand_.

James became aware of every idiosyncrasy that Severus had. He used to tease him, but not see him. He used to mock, but not understand. He recognized the intelligence and wit, the need for caution, the self-preservation. Whereas, since Severus had known what the torture of the Maurauders felt like, he backed off. Even though the other friends had wondered what had made their James decide that he was tired of his favourite hobby, he had realised that this could potentially prevent this from happening again.

Eventually they managed to get Bellatrix her potion, and James found out that Severus had just been sent to do it, he never asked _why_. "Plausible deniability," Severus had replied.

"Exactly," James said in response.

James (as Severus) had also gone and asked for the antidote to the potion. What he got in response had made them both despondent.

There was no cure for the potion. It was said that it would wear off once they really understood the other person. This made the true Gryffindor feel like this wasn't all that hard, but after a month they had been no closer to changing back to themselves.

It soon became clear that both of them had unique ways of doing things. Severus had a morning ritual, he would always make his bed, and then go stand by the window in the Slytherin common room and watch the sunrise.

James had always enjoyed racing on his broom, feeling the rush of air through his wavy hair as he sped around the pitch.

One morning James awoke, and he found himself back in the Gryffindor dormitory. He was overcome with relief and felt like it could all have been just a bad dream. That was until he woke up, realised it was before sunrise. Then he made his bed and walked over to the window in the dormitory, went to sit in the window, and watched the sun rise above the castle grounds.

When Severus woke that morning, he felt fine. For the first time he craved the excitement he had felt when racing across the field on James's broomstick. They saw each other at breakfast and there eyes met across a busy great hall, filled with students eating.

James looked at his friends, feeling odd as he addressed them for what he knew was the first time. "I'm going to talk to Snape," he told his friends. Their eyebrows raised in unison when Sirius replied: "I was wondering how long it would be until you admit it."

"Admit what?" James said.

"The crush you have on the slimy git," Sirius responded.

The words made his heart race and his gut reaction was to defend him, and that was when he knew it had all changed.

"Stop calling him that," James said, causing Sirius to smirk, and Peter to smile at him.

"You all knew?" he asked, while standing up to walk over to the lonely man watching them.

His friends all nodded, they all knew that he was in love with Severus Snape, and all because of a silly little potion accident.

"Can I borrow your broom?" he asked Sirius, and when his friend nodded he walked over to the Slytherin table despite the hissing and looks he was getting.

"Would you like to go flying this morning?" he asked the Slytherin, not giving a damn who was staring at them. The looks the Slytherin's gave were like the dead was coming back to life.

"I would love to," Severus replied with the smallest hint of a smile.

The two of them walked to the Quidditch pitch chatting like old friends, and it soon became clear a spark had been ignited between the two of them. They raced through the blue sky, feeling the wind as they flew.

"I had always admired you, James," Severus said seriously as they reached the ground again.

James decided to be himself again, and boldly walked toward the other man, and kissed him passionately, surprising them both.

When they pulled away for air, Severus said: "I never would have believed you felt the same about me."

"I just needed to know you I suppose," James responded with his cheeky smile.


End file.
